Nigerian wrestling star Esther Kolawole continued her impressive international rise with a gold medal performance at the 2024 Spanish Wrestling Grand Prix, defeating American Haylie Jaffe 10-0 by superiority in the final held in Madrid on Saturday.
Kolawole, a Paris 2024 Olympic qualifier, displayed remarkable dominance throughout the tournament. She breezed past Spain’s Lydia Perez 10-0 in the quarter-finals and followed it up with a gritty 4-1 semifinal victory over Poland’s Alicja Nowosad before capping it off with the emphatic win over Jaffe.
This gold marks a major progression for Kolawole, who won bronze at the same competition in 2023. Her latest triumph is a testament to her continued development and growing presence on the global stage.
The African champion is using the Spanish Grand Prix—held from July 4 to 7—as a preparatory event ahead of the World Wrestling Ranking Series scheduled for July 14 in Budapest, Hungary. Both tournaments are part of her build-up to the 2025 World Wrestling Championships in Croatia this September.
The Nigeria Wrestling Federation’s strategic focus on exposing athletes to elite-level contests is already producing results.
Kolawole’s gold follows her previous bronze in Madrid, while compatriot Ogunsanya Christinah also secured bronze in the 53kg category.
Kolawole’s latest victory further cements her status as one of Nigeria’s top wrestling prospects and boosts confidence ahead of her participation in the upcoming World Championships.
